“I’ve got no heroes anymore.”
It’s now approaching eight years since Marcus Bridge entered the fold as Northlane‘s vocalist, and throughout his tenure, the group have undergone some fairly significant changes. None quite as significant, though, as 2019’s Alien. While the group’s output with Bridge up until this album cycle began certainly bordered on the softer side of metalcore, Alien was a complete 180. The heavy was back in full force, but now housed among a newer, stranger sound. The synth work was amped up, and the influence of the distant worlds of drum ‘n’ bass and EDM seemed more apparent than ever. Of course, Northlane have been no strangers to dabbling in some tasteful electronics in the past, but none quite as bold as guitarist Jon Deiley’s work here.
Now, almost three years on, Northlane have since gone fully independent, opting to DIY the entire gaff on this new joint. Their first fully self-produced and self-released outing, Obsidian marks a brave new world for the beloved Aussie djent boys, both on a sonic front and release strategy one.
Initial single “Clockwork” came far before the album’s announcement, or even recording. Dropping in March of 2021 as an accompanying media piece to a Rainbow Six tournament in Oceania, the single was largely met with praise upon its release. It was certainly a continuation of Alien’s sound, which was to be expected, but there was a hint of change to be found in the songwriting here. Certainly a more simple track musically, the guitar work felt less technical than across much of Alien, and felt more like an accompanying piece to the track’s synth and drum work, feeling very percussive in nature rather than outwardly riffy. Truth be told, while “Clockwork” does fit on Obsidian, there is a level of daringness and songwriting on much of the album that doesn’t feel quite as present on “Clockwork”. However, with this album being recorded and released upward of a year before this record, that’s an unsurprising detail to consider.
However, following singles “Echo Chamber”, “Plenty” and “Carbonized” exemplified the album’s creative ethos in a more salient way. Wildly varied in sound, these three singles showcased less the exact sound of Obsidian, but rather just how sporadic and creative this album is in its structure. Varying degrees of heaviness, electronics and experimentation are found across these tracks, and its this variation that keeps the remainder of Obsidian’s runtime so engaging. An interesting thing to note with these tracks, however, is they all appear in the album’s first half, with Obsidian’s second half being home to not only entirely new tracks, but more pertinently some of the most bold and downright solid tracks of the band’s entire discography.
Six-minute opener “Clarity” helps set a fairly apt tone for the record. Far and away the longest track on Obsidian (with the only track coming close being “Xen”, which only reaches its runtime by having an extended interlude attached to its back end), it’s a bold way to kick off a record like this. At the same time, however, as stated, it’s more than apt. “Clarity” is all at once a swirling, crushing, pretty, disgusting and downright beautiful track housing the creative ethos of Obsidian perfectly. Gorgeous synth work opens the track, but the song progresses through several different auditory phases, capping off with a groovy djent breakdown that is destined to give every sane listener a serious case of stank face.
The album’s second half kicks off with “Is This A Test?” – a dancey, laid back tune that seeks to give the listener a minor break from the blistering heaviness of preceding track and aforementioned single “Plenty”, whose speedy, djenty nature is certain to remind listeners of one of Alien’s strongest tracks in “Freefall”. However, this lull is short-lived, as heavy rager “Xen” comes out of the gate with ferocity as the piercing screams and littered dead notes fill the air. While not my favourite tracks across Obsidian, these two songs provide such a wonderful juxtaposition side-by-side as the album enters its fantastic second half that I feel that alone is worth mentioning.
However, things continue to shift, as we enter the world of album highlight “Cypher”. A dark, pulsating rave beat surrounds the listener as track opens, building progressively into its more full-band focused main verse. The production here is insane, with these potentially being some of the most ridiculously fun and bombastic synths and pads I’ve ever heard in metal. It certainly helps, too, that among all the creative synths, lies one of the heaviest tracks Northlane have written in the Bridge era. The track’s violent, danceable breakdown is preceded by this open, atmospheric break that is almost certainly written to give the group time to set up a gnarly wall of death in a live setting. Every single time I hear this track’s drop I get goosebumps, and with its infectious rhythm and brutal percussiveness, it’s sure to become a fan favourite in no time at all.
Another sharp left turn occurs in “Nova”, however, with Northlane trading in metal altogether, rather opting for a 90s-inspired trip-hop number reminiscent more of Massive Attack than anything even remotely metal-oriented. It’s a wonderfully weird, and more than welcome sound change at this point in the record and the band’s career, and has grown over time to become one of my favourites on Obsidian, as much a wildcard as it may be. “Nova” certainly feeds into the difficult to grasp, needs to grow portion of the record, but with enough time and patience I promise this track will live rent free in your mind.
The album’s final stretch of “Inamorata”, title track “Obsidian” and closer “Dark Solitaire” stands as one of the strongest finishes in the band’s career. The former of the three tracks seems to be a loveletter to the band’s fans and to live music, with Bridge confessing he feels the need to give back in light of what the world has given him as he croons “Now it’s my time to burn for you, my love, inamorata, I’m whole again”. The latter two tracks, however, stand out in their balance of outright beauty and djenty goodness. “Obsidian” sees Northlane out to melt faces with a pacey and insanely heavy affair, containing what is likely the heaviest breakdown on the record, while closer “Dark Solitaire” tops off the album masterfully, dabbling in some of the most gorgeous synth and sample work across Obsidian. A closer to rival the beauty and emotional potency of “Sleepless” in its first half, the track switches up to what feels like an EDM-style build-up repurposed within a metal aesthetic, with pounding synth drums and glitched samples pulsating alongside the more typical low-tuned guitars and the pacey acoustic drum work of Nic Pettersen. Northlane’s brutal side briefly rears its head again for one final drop as Bridge growls “but I need help” before the track’s beautiful synths usher out Obsidian with grace.
If there was one word I’d use to describe Northlane’s Obsidian it would be bold. A continuation and expansion of the already-daring Alien, replete with enough experimentation and wild juxtaposition to leave your brain constantly engaged through each and every listen. It’s an understatement to say that Northlane have fully reinvented themselves at this point in their career, and while the Singularity fans of old may decree that “they sold out, man!” – the truth is, they’ve arguably done the opposite. They’ve traded their former, accessible 2010s djent sound for a weird, frenzied combination of sounds from across the musical spectrum, which all come together to piece one of the most exciting and rejuvenating releases metalcore has seen in years. It’s a grower, for sure, but when it finally clicks, there’s just nothing like it.
9.5/10
Obsidian will be available this Friday via self-release/Believe, with physical versions being distributed by Nuclear Blast. You can find information on all pre-orders here.